The present invention relates generally to barbecue grills, and more particularly to a barbecue grill that has a quick sear function.
Barbecue grills are generally used to cook food over an open flame. In many cooking applications, particularly in cooking meat, it is desirable to provide an initial “sear” to the food by applying high heat to the food's surface. This searing process quickly evaporates moisture on the surface of the meat to create a crunchy outer crust while keeping the center of the meat moist.
Typically, barbecue grills will include one or more control knobs and control valves that dispense fuel into burners. The control knobs adjust the flow of gas that is able to pass through the valves to adjust the level of heat produced by the burners. In order to “sear” meat, users will generally place a burner on the “high” setting to get the area directly above the burner as hot as possible. The “high” setting on the grill will generally be limited to about 10,000-12,000 BTUs.
It can readily be appreciated that there is a need for a barbecue grill with a burner or burners capable of putting out higher heat outputs to more efficiently and effectively sear food. In particular, there is a need for such a grill providing this capability in a cost effective manner that does not require the material and construction characteristics of a grill designed for continuous operation at such higher heat outputs. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.